Aiming for Excellence

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 599, 15 August 1995, Page 11 (Supplement)

Aiming for Excellence

The Grand Chateau has a reputation for excellence dating back to when it was first built in 1929. It achieved its title as "the Grand Old Lady of the Mountain" through excellence in architecture, fittings, food, and of course, service. Carrying on with that tradition in a more contemporary way is Maureen Park, The Grand Chateau front office manager. Responsible for bookings, greeting the guests on arrival, room accounting and ensuring the general smooth and efficient running of the front office, Maureen has excelled in her job since she arrived in 1992. In 1994 she won the General Manager's Award for Excellence, and the prize of an all expenses paid week at Eden on the Park in Melbourne. "Last year was a fairly challeriging time for the hotel," Maureen says. "We were told that we had to cut costs and make the hotel more efficient by our owners, and as a head of department that meant I was required to bring about increased productivity from the front of house." "I think the reason I won the award was because of the way we pulled together through that time. We went through some interesting and trying times, but we made

a team effort and so we did really well. In many ways I owe the award to my staff, because by pulling together we managed to cut costs by quite a large margin." Grand Chateau general manager Chris Griffin says Maureen won the Award for Excellence for "exceeding in all aspects of her job." "She was always trying to improve the outcomes and achieve the goals of her department," Chris

says, whether it was in the area of customers or staff. The way she dealt with staffing and costs was excellent." Maureen says one aspect of her job she really enjoys is that a lof of the hotel's guests come back. "We get a lot of return business - you speak to the same people on the phone and meet them every year. It's great because you sort of get to know them, and that makes you try a little harder."

Maureen says that the renovations were just beginning when she started work, so the hotel has been constantly improving during her time there. She says the hotel has been getting consistently busier since the changes. "Being a part of the team that helped implement those changes has been great," she says. "It now means we have a terrific product to sell."